Report Title:

Hawaiian Homes Commission; Legal Services

Description:

Authorizes department of Hawaiian home lands to hire independent legal counsel. (SD1)

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

477

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS COMMISSION ACT.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Section 202 of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, as amended, is amended to read as follows:

"§202. Department officers, staff, commission, members, compensation[.], attorneys. (a) There shall be a department of Hawaiian home lands which shall be headed by an executive board to be known as the Hawaiian homes commission. The members of the commission shall be nominated and appointed in accordance with section 26-34, Hawaii Revised Statutes. The commission shall be composed of nine members, as follows: three shall be residents of the city and county of Honolulu; two shall be residents of the county of Hawaii, one of whom shall be a resident of east Hawaii and the other a resident of west Hawaii; two shall be residents of the county of Maui, one of whom shall be a resident from the island of Molokai; one shall be a resident of the county of Kauai; and the ninth member shall be the chairman of the Hawaiian homes commission. All members shall have been residents of the State at least three years prior to their appointment, and at least four of the members shall be descendants of not less than one-fourth part of the blood of the races inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands previous to 1778. The members of the commission shall serve without pay, but shall receive actual expenses incurred by them in the discharge of their duties as such members. The governor shall appoint the chairman of the commission from among the members thereof.

The commission may delegate to the chairman such duties, powers, and authority, or so much thereof, as may be lawful or proper for the performance of the functions vested in the commission. The chairman of the commission shall serve in a full-time capacity. He shall, in such capacity, perform such duties[,] and exercise such powers and authority, or so much thereof, as may be delegated to him by the commission as herein provided above.

(b) The provisions of section 76-16, Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall apply to the positions of first deputy and private secretary to the chairman of the commission. The department may hire temporary staff on a contractual basis not subject to chapters 76[, 77,] and 78, Hawaii Revised Statutes, when the services to be performed will assist in carrying out the purposes of the Act. These positions may be funded through appropriations for capital improvement program projects and by the administration account, operating fund, or native Hawaiian rehabilitation fund. No contract shall be for a period longer than two years, but individuals hired under contract may be employed for a maximum of six years; provided that the six-year limitation shall not apply if the department, with the approval of the governor, determines that such contract individuals are needed to provide critical services for the efficient functioning of the department. All other positions in the department shall be subject to [chapters] chapter 76 [and 77], Hawaii Revised Statutes.

All vacancies and new positions which are covered by [chapters] chapter 76 [and 77], Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall be filled in accordance with [sections 76-23 and 76-31,] chapter 76, Hawaii Revised Statutes, provided that the provisions of these sections shall be applicable first to qualified persons of Hawaiian extraction.

(c) The department may hire one or more attorneys who are independent of the attorney general, to provide legal services for the department of Hawaiian home lands, including:

(1) Representation for the department of Hawaiian home lands in civil actions to which the department of Hawaiian home lands is a party, either directly or through the acts or omissions of its officers or employees;

(2) Legal advice and assistance to ensure the lawful and efficient administration and operation of the department of Hawaiian home lands;

(3) Review and approval of documents relating to the acquisition of land and operation of the department of Hawaiian home lands; and

(4) Other legal services as specified by the Hawaiian homes commission.

The Hawaiian homes commission may fix the compensation of the attorneys hired pursuant to this section. Attorneys hired by the department shall be exempt from chapters 76 and 89."

SECTION 2. Section 28-8.3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

1. By amending subsection (a) to read:

"(a) No department of the State other than the attorney general may employ or retain any attorney, by contract or otherwise, for the purpose of representing the State or the department in any litigation, rendering legal counsel to the department, or drafting legal documents for the department; provided that the foregoing provision shall not apply to the employment or retention of attorneys:

(1) By the public utilities commission, the labor and industrial relations appeals board, and the Hawaii labor relations board;

(2) By any court or judicial or legislative office of the State;

(3) By the legislative reference bureau;

(4) By any compilation commission that may be constituted from time to time;

(5) By the real estate commission for any action involving the real estate recovery fund;

(6) By the contractors license board for any action involving the contractors recovery fund;

(7) By the trustees for any action involving the travel agency recovery fund;

(8) By the office of Hawaiian affairs;

(9) By the department of commerce and consumer affairs for the enforcement of violations of chapters 480 and 485;

    (10) As grand jury counsel;

    (11) By the Hawaiian home lands trust individual claims review panel;

    (12) By the Hawaii health systems corporation or any of its facilities;

    (13) By the auditor;

    (14) By the office of ombudsman;

    (15) By the insurance division;

    (16) By the University of Hawaii;

(17) By the Kahoolawe island reserve commission;

(18) By the division of consumer advocacy; [or]

(19) By the department of Hawaiian home lands; or

[(19)] (20) By a department, in the event the attorney general, for reasons deemed by the attorney general good and sufficient, declines, to employ or retain an attorney for a department; provided that the governor thereupon waives the provision of this section."

2. By amending subsection (c) to read:

"(c) Every attorney employed by any department on a full-time basis, except an attorney employed by the public utilities commission, the labor and industrial relations appeals board, the Hawaii labor relations board, the office of Hawaiian affairs, the Hawaii health systems corporation, the department of commerce and consumer affairs in prosecution of consumer complaints, insurance division, the division of consumer advocacy, the University of Hawaii, the department of Hawaiian home lands, the Hawaiian home lands trust individual claims review panel, or as grand jury counsel, shall be a deputy attorney general."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.